Over 100 Life-Saving Medicines Face Shortage in Pakistan

More than 100 life-saving medicines are at present unavailable in Pakistan, making it challenging for patients to access essential treatment for cancer, hypertension and diabetes.

Key points

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• Nasir remarked DRAP does not accept manufacturers' requests blindly and checks medicine costs in neighbouring countries such as India, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka before recommending new rates.
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• Nasir remarked Pakistan is the only country where the regulator reviews hardship cases, but the final approval rests with the cabinet.
• They remarked they have repeatedly asked the administration to revise rates upward so production and supply can resume, but the requests have not yet been approved.

Drug manufacturers and suppliers remarked a number of medicines have gone out of production one by one over the past two years since rising costs have produced retail rates unviable.

Pakistan Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Association former chairman Tauqeer Ul Haq remarked hardship cases under the Drug Pricing Policy 2018 should be decided within 60 to 90 days, but numerous applications for cost increases have remained pending for more than two years. Pakistan Faces Shortage of Over 100 Life-Saving Medicines.

He remarked the number of unavailable medicines is close to 105, but the actual number of hardship cases is higher as manufacturers have halted filing new requests after earlier applications were left pending.

Haq remarked manufacturers are not seeking extra profit but are asking for revised costs for medicines that have become financially unviable to produce at current rates.

He cautioned that patients are being put at risk and may be forced to purchase counterfeit or smuggled medicines at higher rates in the absence of original low-cost medicines.

He remarked the administration still controls the rates of life-saving drugs. It produce up around 40 percent of all medicines sold in Pakistan.

PPMA senior vice chairman Kamran Nasir remarked DRAP and the Drug Pricing Committee had recommended new costs for hardship cases and sent the summary to the federal cabinet for approval.

He remarked the cabinet has not considered the summary despite repeated submissions over the past two years.

Nasir remarked Pakistan is the only country where the regulator reviews hardship cases, but the final approval rests with the cabinet. Punjab Announces Hospital of the Month Award.

While the cabinet does not have the time or specialist knowledge to review each medicine cost problem, he remarked the system makes little sense as DRAP has the technical expertise.

According to the PPMA, drug manufacturers lately met Federal Health Minister Mustafa Kamal, Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal and Adviser to the Prime Minister Haroon Akhtar, and they agreed to raise the problem with the prime minister.

He remarked manufacturers need a reasonable profit margin to keep plants running, pay staff, supply medicines and invest in new production lines. Stay Connected with ProPakistani. Obtain the latest news and stories wherever you prefer. Follow on Google Discover.

In short, over 100 Life-Saving Medicines Face Shortage in Pakistan is the central thread here, and readers can expect follow-up reporting as the picture becomes clearer.